Whilst Southampton are obviously reluctant to sell Van Dijk, the game-changing aspect of the offer is the fact that Andreas Christensen is also included in the deal.

Christensen spent the majority of his youth career at Danish outfit Brondby FC, before being snapped up by Chelsea at just 16-years-old. From here, he worked his way up through the academy and after two years of fighting for a chance in the first team, it arrived at the age of 18-years-old. The Dane then went on to feature once again in the League Cup, before making his first Premier League appearance on the 24th of May 2015 – just like many other Chelsea youngsters though, the opportunities stopped here.

This prompted both Chelsea and Christensen to look for game-time through a loan move, and in the form of Borussia Monchengladbach, Christensen has found exactly that. Two seasons and 76 first team appearances later, and Christensen has proved to be a stellar piece of business for the Bundesliga side.

During his two seasons with the club, Christensen has placed himself at the heart of the Gladbach defence, showing himself to be an extremely intelligent defender, who is more than capable with the ball at his feet. Quick concise passes around the defence and midfield are a regular feature of Christensen’s play, as he aims to push the team further up the field.

Christensen is also extremely aware of his surroundings, and whilst there is still some work to do with the clumsiness of his close quarters tackling, time is on his side at just 21-years-old.

All in all, I have to say that if Southampton do go through the heartbreak of losing Van Dijk this summer, a cash plus Christensen deal would certainly soften the blow. Not only does the player suit Southampton’s style of play, but his age also helps him to be a suitable signing and a valuable asset.

It’s worth noting that we are approaching the summer transfer window, however, so with papers needing to be sold and articles hunting for clicks, it’s always worth taking each rumour with a pinch of salt. Southampton were linked with Nathan Ake and Christopher Jullien only earlier this week.

Whilst the potential acquisition of Christensen excites me, this certainly isn’t the first time that I’ve heard a report like this, and I’m certain that it won’t be the last.